Please join us for the Teaching and Learning Center session "Give Them Options: Why and How to Incorporate Student Choice into Your Courses," presented by Erica Demler, coordinator of the Math Center, on Monday, September 27, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Butler Library 318.

Student choice is a foundational component of universal design for learning that, when used in meaningful ways, can motivate and empower students to take charge of their learning. We will briefly discuss some of the theoretical underpinnings of student choice and highlight the benefits it can have for students. Ms. Demler will then offer some practical examples of how she has embedded student choice in multiple ways and at multiple levels within her MAT 311: Introductory Statistics course. We'll finish by exploring ways you can incorporate student choice in your own courses.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the Teaching and Learning Center session "Writing Prompts That Work: Designing Successful Writing Assignments," presented by Maggie Herb, assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center, on Thursday, September 23, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 318.

Have you ever developed an assignment prompt that you thought was clear, but then when you read your students’ papers, you realized that something was lost in translation? You’re not alone! In this interactive workshop, we will focus on crafting writing assignment prompts that are clear, focused, and purposeful. Participants are invited to bring assignment prompts for feedback and revision suggestions. 

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the Teaching and Learning Center webinar "Don't Just Lose It, Use It! Taking COVID-19 Lessons and Using Them in Traditional Classroom Models," presented by Katrina Fulcher-Rood, associate professor of speech-language pathology, on Monday, September 20, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

The way in which we deliver our classes—from the content to the assignments—has had to change rapidly and unexpectedly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we start to return to in-person teaching, you may be thinking: “What am I going to do with all this content I developed for an online class?” The answer is, don’t get rid of it—repurpose it! In this session, we will discuss what worked during your online classes and how to use this material in your face-to-face learning environments.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the Teaching and Learning Center’s session "Tutoring, Learning, and Student Success: What Every Professor Should Know" on Thursday, September 16, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 318. Session presenters are Maggie Herb, assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center; Erica Demler, coordinator of the Math Center; and Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services.

Your student is struggling in class, so you recommend that he or she see a tutor. But what happens next? How can tutors and faculty support student success together and reinforce each other's work? This interactive session will familiarize attendees with the tutoring services available at Buffalo State College, explore how tutoring can enhance and support course objectives, and offer opportunities for collaboration between tutors and faculty.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Fidelity Financial will present the free webinar "Maximize Social Security in Your Retirement Strategy" for all SUNY employees on Wednesday, August 25, at noon. Understand important Social Security claiming strategies. Learn about strategies for claiming your Social Security benefit and how it fits with other income sources to create your retirement paycheck.

Reserve your spot today.

The 2021 Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAA) has been modified to include two important changes:

The maximum contribution levels have been increased from $2,500 to $5,250 for single or married filing separately and from $5,000 to $10,500 for married filing jointly or head of household.

Additionally, you are now able to change your DCAA election amount without a qualifying change in status event reason. The change event reason will appear as "No reason (Consolidated Appropriations Act)." Use this to enroll, change, restart, or terminate your 2021 DCAA. Changes will not be retroactive; they will be applied to the next available payroll date for processing.

Please email fsa@goer.ny.gov or call HealthEquify/WageWorks at (800) 358-7202 with any questions on the DCAA or these new changes.

The new Testing Center at Student Accessibility Services will open its doors on Monday, August 30. To coincide with our new space, we have developed new policies and procedures using best practices in testing center operations, student access, and equity as well as input we have received from our stakeholders.

We recognize that in order to operate with efficiency and integrity while providing a welcoming environment, the enthusiasm and participation of everyone involved (students, instructors, and staff members) will be paramount.

In our effort to reach that goal, and to ensure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in the exam process, the Testing Center has created a repository of information available on the Student Accessibility Services website.

We have divided the information based on individuals’ roles in the process so that you can easily find the information that pertains to you. We strongly urge you to review everyone’s role in our new operations, as the process has been completely overhauled into a system that will bring positive and long-lasting changes to the way we do business.

After reading through the website and familiarizing yourself with our new guidelines, if you still have questions or concerns that are not addressed, please contact Andrea Gustafson, learning and accommodations specialist, who is in charge of the Testing Center and will be happy to assist you. You can drop in to see her Monday through Friday in Butler Library 160 between 8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. If you would prefer to send an email, please use the new address for all Testing Center correspondence: exams@buffalostate.edu.

Thank you for being a part of Buffalo State College’s dedication to equal educational access to individuals with disabilities.

Bengal community! In just a few short days, we will be welcoming our new first-year and transfer students to campus. About 1,000 resident students will move into their home away from home at Buffalo State College on Thursday, August 26. This is the day we have waited for all summer, and it may come with some disruption to campus traffic flow. Check-in will occur throughout the day, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Sports Arena, after which residents will be moving into their halls along Rockwell Road, 1-39, and Tower Road. We hope you will excuse the disruption and join us in welcoming our new class to campus for a great fall semester. If you have any questions or want to know how you can help, please email Residence Life.

President Katherine Conway-Turner and members of her cabinet will host a virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, August 26, at 12:15 p.m. to share information about the upcoming semester and answer questions about the college’s return to in-person operations and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The forum is open only to Buffalo State College faculty and staff members and will be held via Zoom videoconferencing. After you register to attend, you will receive a link to the online town hall.

Students have been invited to student-specific sessions to address their questions and concerns. 

For more information, please email vpfm@buffalostate.edu. We look forward to seeing you on August 26.

Our $6 Friday Barbecue will be held in the Bengal Kitchen today August 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. With all of your barbecue favorites, you’re not going to want to miss out!

Tickets can be purchased at Spot Coffee in the Campbell Student Union Retail Food Court.